Costa Rica's fintech scene is small but real. One local VC leads it. Pan-LatAm funds and DFIs back the rest. Grants fill the early gaps. Here are 12 investors backing San Jose fintech startups in 2026.
Costa Rica has only a handful of local venture firms, and Carao sits at the center of the fintech scene. The rest of the money tends to arrive from outside the country.
Pan-LatAm funds drop in when a deal fits their thesis, but most of them sit in Santiago, Buenos Aires, or San Francisco rather than San Jose. Development finance institutions supply a large share of the capital that reaches the ecosystem.
Grants and incubators back the earliest steps, before a startup is ready for a priced round. You will end up pitching a mix of funds and programs, so Ellty keeps your data in one shareable link.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carao Ventures | Costa Rican VC | Pre-seed to Series A | Fintech, SaaS, healthtech | caraov.com |
| Magma Partners | Pan-LatAm VC (Chile) | Seed stage | Fintech, insurtech, proptech | magmapartners.com |
| NXTP Ventures | Pan-LatAm B2B VC (Argentina) | US$500K-$5M | B2B, SaaS, fintech | nxtp.vc |
| 500 Global | Accelerator + fund (US/Mexico) | ~US$300K | Fintech, generalist | 500.co |
| IDB Lab | DFI (development bank) | ~US$0.75M-$2M | Inclusion, payments, fintech | bidlab.org |
| IFC | DFI / fund LP | Backs funds, not startups | Broad, fintech via funds | ifc.org |
| FMO | DFI (Netherlands) | Backs funds and startups | Financial inclusion, fintech | fmo.nl |
| PROPYME (MICITT) | Govt grant program | Up to 80% of project cost | Innovation, R&D, tech SMEs | micitt.go.cr |
| SBD / K-global | Govt finance + matchmaker | Debt and seed instruments | Startups, SMEs | sbdcr.com |
| AUGE-UCR | University incubator | Seed grants, incubation | Tech, generalist | augeucr.com |
| Parque La Libertad | Public incubator | Programs, not equity | Creative, tech | parquelalibertad.org |
| BAC Credomatic | Bank / strategic partner | Partnerships, not equity | Payments, inclusion | baccredomatic.com |
Pitch funds and programs from one link
Fintech investors study users, churn, and unit economics fast. Ellty shows who opened your numbers so you follow up first.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a fintech investor backs
A fintech investor wants to see real users and real revenue, not just a roadmap. Above all, they read your unit economics to judge whether the business can stand on its own.
They watch churn and payback closely, since those numbers tell them how durable the growth is. Healthy growth on top of a clean model is what wins the room.
Be ready to explain why you and why now, in plain terms. Ellty gives each fund a single link to your deck, so you can see exactly who opens it and when.
Only 24 of Costa Rica's roughly 96 fintech companies have ever raised outside funding.
12 San Jose fintech investors
1. Carao Ventures
Carao is Central America's first VC firm.
Recent Activity: ~3 new deals a year; fintech is its #2 sector
LinkedIn: Carao Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, healthtech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
Check Size: Pre-seed to Series A
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: caraov.com
2. Magma Partners
Magma backs fintech across LatAm.
Recent Activity: Backed CR payments fintech Onvo (2024 exit)
LinkedIn: Magma Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, insurtech, proptech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Seed stage
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: magmapartners.com
3. NXTP Ventures
NXTP backs B2B and fintech startups.
Recent Activity: Active in LatAm; CR deals unconfirmed
Sector Focus: B2B, SaaS, fintech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
Check Size: US$500K-$5M
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: nxtp.vc
4. 500 Global
500 Global runs a LatAm seed fund.
Recent Activity: Fund IV names Costa Rica as a target
Sector Focus: Fintech, generalist
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: ~US$300K
Location: San Francisco, USA
Website: 500.co
5. IDB Lab
IDB Lab funds inclusion and payments.
Recent Activity: Put US$2M into 500's LatAm Fund IV
LinkedIn: IDB Lab LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Inclusion, payments, fintech
Stage Focus: Early
Check Size: ~US$0.75M-$2M
Location: Washington, USA
Website: bidlab.org
6. IFC
IFC backs the funds behind CR startups.
Recent Activity: Anchor LP in Carao's US$35M fund
Sector Focus: Broad, fintech via funds
Stage Focus: Fund-level
Check Size: Backs funds, not startups
Location: Washington, USA
Website: ifc.org
Give each fund one trackable link
Ellty logs when a fund opens your data room. Chase the keen ones first, not days too late.
Start free 14-day trial7. FMO
FMO is among the most active in CR fintech.
Recent Activity: Among the most active in CR fintech
Sector Focus: Financial inclusion, fintech
Stage Focus: Early to growth
Check Size: Backs funds and startups
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Website: fmo.nl
8. PROPYME (MICITT)
PROPYME grants innovation funding.
Recent Activity: Non-reimbursable innovation grants
Sector Focus: Innovation, R&D, tech SMEs
Stage Focus: Any
Check Size: Up to 80% of project cost
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: micitt.go.cr
9. SBD / K-global
SBD matches startups with investors.
Recent Activity: Matches startups with investors
Sector Focus: Startups, SMEs
Stage Focus: Early
Check Size: Debt and seed instruments
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: sbdcr.com
10. AUGE-UCR
AUGE is a top university incubator.
Recent Activity: Top-ranked university incubator
Sector Focus: Tech, generalist
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Seed grants, incubation
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: augeucr.com
11. Parque La Libertad
A public incubator for new ventures.
Recent Activity: Runs the Impulsarte program
Sector Focus: Creative, tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed
Check Size: Programs, not equity
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: parquelalibertad.org
12. BAC Credomatic
A major bank that partners with fintechs.
Recent Activity: Won 2024 Fintech Americas awards
Sector Focus: Payments, inclusion
Stage Focus: Partner
Check Size: Partnerships, not equity
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Website: baccredomatic.com
Why DFIs fund the scene
Local venture money is scarce in Costa Rica, so development finance institutions step in to fill much of the gap. They are a defining feature of how fintech gets funded here.
IDB Lab and IFC rarely write checks straight to startups; instead they back the local funds that do. Their capital still reaches founders, just one layer removed.
It pays to know who sits behind the money you raise, because their priorities shape the round. For nearby context, see our seed investors guide, and let Ellty show you who actually studies your deck.
How grant programs help
Government programs back startups before private capital shows up, and PROPYME and SBD are the two that matter most early on. They are designed to get young companies off the ground.
These are grants, not equity, so they extend your runway without diluting you. That makes them a smart first stop while you build toward a priced round.
Once you do raise, move fast and keep your fundraising process tight. Share documents through secure file sharing, and Ellty logs every view for you.
Raising fintech money in San Jose
Map the local, regional, and DFI capital before you start, then line up warm introductions to each one. A clear list beats a scattered outreach every time.
Keep your backers posted with regular updates, because trust compounds over the length of a raise. Lock sensitive files behind a password so you stay in control of who sees the data.
Ellty stores every document in one data room, built for startups raising right now. From there you can pitch the whole San Jose market through a single link.
How to pitch a fintech investor
Show users and real revenue.
- 1.Show users and real revenue.Lead with the traction and income that prove the model is more than a slide. Numbers earn you the next meeting faster than vision does.
- 2.Map churn, payback, and growth.Lay out retention, payback period, and growth rate so the investor can read the health of the business at a glance. Keep every figure clear and tied back to your unit economics.
- 3.Name your raise and runway.State exactly how much you are raising and how many months it buys you. A tight, specific ask signals that you know your own numbers.
- 4.Send one Ellty link to your deck.Share a single trackable link instead of email attachments that get lost. Then watch who digs in so you know where the real interest is.
How Ellty helps you land a fintech investor in San Jose
You have your San Jose fintech list ready. Set up a data room first.
- 1.Upload your deck, metrics, and model.Set access per fund.
- 2.Share one trackable link per fund.Each fund gets a unique link.
- 3.Watch opens and reply on time.Use analytics to time each nudge.
San Jose fintech investor questions
- Carao and pan-LatAm funds. DFIs and grants help too.
- No, the scene is small. Few startups have raised.
- Payments and inclusion tech. B2B fintech too.
- Yes, IDB Lab and IFC do. They back local funds.
- Often US$100K to US$2M. DFIs back the funds.
- Before your first investor call. Track who opens your deck.
